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France reaches World Cup quarter-finals after beating Nigeria 2-0 with late goals

France's Blaise Matuidi carries his teammate Mathieu Valbuena as they celebrate at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between France and Nigeria at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, June 30, 2014. France won 2-0 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

BRASILIA — Ah, to be 21 again. Unaffected by the lingering, hidden scars of past disappointments on the big stages; undaunted by the uncertainty out there on the horizon.

To be so sure, so open to … possibilities.

“Afraid?” asked Paul Pogba quizzically, when the subject of a potential date with Germany was broached. “Why?

“We’re not afraid of anyone.”

The much-sought-after Juventus starlet provided the breakthrough that Les Bleus needed at Estadio Nacional here Monday, his 79th-minute goal sparking a 2-0 verdict over a willing but ultimately outclassed Nigeria that has boosted renaissance France into the World Cup quarter-finals

France’s goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris makes a save during a Round of 16 football match between France and Nigeria at Mane Garrincha National Stadium in Brasilia during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 30, 2014. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

No wonder the lavishly moneyed houses of Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSG are all circling in hopes of prying the coltish star out of Turin.

For a long time, there was nothing to choose between the two sides.

“A match,” shrugged France boss Didier Deschamps, “lasts 90 minutes. To dominate for 90 minutes in every area of the game? I’ve never seen that happen.

“Nigeria went toe-to-toe for an hour. Maybe they tired a bit more than we did. Their attackers didn’t track back as much as we expected and this allowed us some space to play short passes. It paid off.”

What had been a flip-a-coin match swung violently in France’s favour in the 62nd minute when Deschamps shrewdly subbed off a floundering Olivier Giroud in favour of Real Sociedad’s Antoine Griezmann up front.

From then on, inspired by Griezmann’s lickety-split, the French bossed the pitch, pinning the Super Eagles back and keeping heroic Nigerian ’keeper Vincent Enyeama a busy, busy man.

“They are different types of players,” shrugged the ’98 World Cup winner. “Their profiles are different. Olivier supported (Karim) Benzema well, there were some nice combinations. But I thought the speed of Griezmann was an option.

“Would it have been better starting (Griezmann)? Would it have been worse? We’ll never know. Whatever we did, it worked.”

Nigeria’s Kenneth Omeruo (22) battles for the ball with France’s Olivier Giroud (9) during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between France and Nigeria at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, June 30, 2014. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

His introduction certainly seemed to perk up the dozing Benzema. So listless was the Real Madrid predator up until then, there were unsubstantiated rumours he’d run off and enlisted in the French Foreign Legion.

But in short order, revitalized by the new partnership, Benzema dragged himself back into the match, a lovely give-and-get with Griezmann springing him free for a close-in try that deflected off Enyeama before being cleared off the line by a johnny-on-the-spot Victor Moses. Minutes later, the under-fire ’keeper had to fling his fingertips at an even fiercer strike from Benzema, barely flicking the ball over the bar.

Galvanized by their sudden dominance, France kept banging on the door and the breakthrough finally came, Enyeama failing to deal properly a Mathieu Valbuena corner, his pop-fly punch looping perfectly for Pogba to head into an empty net.

Pogba did this so casually he might’ve been sitting at Les Deux Magots, enjoying a Creme brulee and cafe in the Place St- German des Pres.

“I knew there was a whole country that would support us — scoring that goal has freed us,” he said.

“It is one of the proudest moments of my life.”

France’s goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris concedes a goal to Nigeria that was disallowed during the round of 16 football match between France and Nigeria at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium in Brasilia during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 30, 2014. FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

The goal may help to lift a bit of the pressure off the young midfielder, who arrived here lugging around massive expectations.

“It’s normal that Pogba is criticized,” said Deschamps. “This is what happens in football. It will help him develop.

“He stepped up to the plate today. Maybe he kept things a bit more simple than before. All credit to him. Apart from the goal, he was very important to us.”

As has become standard at this tournament, the vanquished coach, Stephen Keshi, dumped the fault for the exit at the door of the referee — Mark Geiger of the U.S. The Nigerians had a goal chalked off and Keshi was dissatisfied over the severity of punishment from a handful of French challenges.

“I’m not happy about it,” he said, “but he is the alpha and omega and decides what goes on the pitch. The referee is a human being and is bound to make mistakes. A lot of mistakes, though, were questionable.

“This is the first time ever I talk about a referee like this” — as if — “but he was bad.

“Any loss is painful. When you see your team playing good football and doing what you asked them to do and all of a sudden it turns around and you lose the game … I don’t think we deserved to lose this way, but that’s football.”

And the team that played the best football, particularly over a one-sided final half-hour, is moving on.

The savvy Deschamps has gone out of his way to temper rising expectations back home about this edition of Les Bleus. He was sticking with cautionary tack Monday.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win the World Cup,” he cautioned, savouring this latest success, “but I’m happy for them. We are part of the best eight teams in the world. That is great.

“They deserve what’s happening to them.”

So a mouth-watering collision with Die Mannschaft at the legendary Maracana in Rio on July 4 looms.

As Paul Pogba, who has come to typify this new France, might say: Afraid? Why?